Life at SPES Lomé this May has been all about the thrill of third-term and end-of-year exams. Both centers are buzzing with preparations through intensified review sessions and guided work. The new recruits, on the other hand, fully immersed in settling in and oblivious to this crucial period, keep asking their older peers for nursery rhymes and floor games. The staff have been hard at work to support the children and teenagers as best as they can. Contact has also been strengthened with the external students and their families.
To date, the center is operating with forty-eight (48) residents: twenty-seven (27) in the toddlers’ center and twenty-one (21) in the teen center. The twenty-three (23) young people who are renting, with family, or in Benin are added to this number. In total, SPES Lomé has cared for seventy-one (71) children and young people during this month of May 2026.
Schooling
Students in the passing grades of middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th) as well as those in high school (10th grade) have finished their third trimester exams.
From May 18 to 22, 2026, eight of our 11th grade students took the Probatoire (BAC I) exams under good conditions and are now eagerly waiting for the results to be announced.
While waiting for the passing exams as well as the official exams (CEPD and BAC II) for primary school and 12th grade, the review sessions with external tutors and the guidance provided by the dorm uncles and aunts continue in an atmosphere of calm, discipline, and rigor.
ANIMATION
The activities take place both on the playground, in the playroom, and in the library with the kids under Uncle Justin’s supervision.
Smiley project
Under the supervision of Mr. BRUCE Elysée, the Smiley project continues with our middle school students.
Situation of internal and external students
The students, on their side, continue with their classes. During this month of May, they received their grades for the Harmattan semester. For most of them, these grades are not encouraging at all. The young people are not taking their studies seriously at all and don’t have any real ambition for their future. After reviewing the grades, a meeting was held with them to highlight the difficulties they are facing and to find possible solutions, as well as to make them aware of the need to have a qualification or diploma that could help them enter the job market before their support ends. Commitments were made to meet the challenge in the Monsoon semester of the academic year.
The young man in priestly training in BENIN is doing very well and continues his training smoothly, just like the young woman in preschool teacher training in Lomé who is progressing well in the practical phase of her training.
Learning
Our young apprentices continue their training in their various learning workshops. On Saturday, May 23, 2026, a team made up of Justin (facilitator) and Maman Apéfa (childcare assistant at the Youth Center) attended the signing of the apprenticeship contract for one of our young trainee seamstresses. The ceremony went very well in a friendly and supportive atmosphere for the young apprentice. One of the youngsters changed careers due to difficulties in adapting. He was assisted, after a psychological evaluation, by the team and his family for his registration.
Health
During this month of May, our children and young people suffered from malaria along with intestinal infections, anemia, and headaches. Some were referred to the Jean Jacques Bazin Medical and Social Center in Kégué (Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Kégué, not far from the Center) and others to the Pediatrician. They were seen, treated, and recovered. The new recruits are also receiving the vaccination doses appropriate for their age.
Rehabilitation sessions continue with our young person and are getting better and better.
The Psychologist continues her work at both SPES TOGO Centers.
Meetings and other news
As part of the celebration of International Workers’ Day, the staff of the SPES Orphanage gathered on May 1, 2026, in a friendly and warm atmosphere to mark this day dedicated to workers.
The ceremony began with a welcome speech highlighting the importance of this day that honors the efforts and dedication of workers. The employees’ spokesperson then took this opportunity to present their grievances and concerns about certain working conditions and their hopes for better collaboration within SPES.
To liven up the celebration, the moms (childcare assistants) performed a skit that humorously and creatively highlighted the realities of the working world as well as the daily challenges they face in their roles. This performance drew interest and applause from the audience.
The celebration continued with a shared meal among the staff and team members. This moment of relaxation and camaraderie helped strengthen bonds of solidarity, encouraged exchanges, and reinforced the team spirit that characterizes the staff at the SPES Orphanage.
The day ended in an atmosphere of joy and overall satisfaction. This celebration was a great opportunity to recognize the work done by each employee and contributed to strengthening cohesion within SPES Lomé.
On May 4, 2026, at 8:30 AM, the monthly staff meeting was held at the SPES Lomé Center (Children’s Center), bringing together all the staff from both centers as well as the administrative team. The meeting was chaired by the Director and mainly focused on child care as well as various issues related to the operation of the centers.
During the meeting, the different activities planned for the month were presented to promote better task organization and an effective distribution of responsibilities. The Director also informed the staff about an upcoming training organized by SOS Children’s Villages and RESEAV through the ARPEJ project (Regional Approach for the Protection of Children and Youth) on positive discipline and child and youth protection. The date for this training is yet to be confirmed.
Regarding the sharing of personal information about children and young people with sponsors, the Director announced that this information will now be compiled into semi-annual reports. The individual information collection form for the children was presented and explained to the staff. A team made up of the Director, the Head of the Teen Center, the Cultural Coordinator, and the IT Specialist will be in charge of this task.
The discussions also covered preparations for the children and young people for end-of-year tests and exams. To this end, the Director encouraged all staff to support and motivate Wilfried, one of the older peers of the children and young people at the center, who has generously agreed to help them strengthen their knowledge in mathematics, physical sciences, and biology.
Additionally, the Director expressed her dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching at the Catholic Primary School (EPC) and mentioned the possibility of changing schools for the next academic year.
Ms. Mathy, Head of the Teen Center, then presented the report on the follow-up visit to the external youths carried out from March 30 to April 4, 2026. The mission revealed that the youths being monitored are generally doing well, although some situations still require support and improvements.
Under miscellaneous matters, the issue of issuing passports for our chess game champions was discussed to anticipate preparations for their participation in the upcoming Olympiads scheduled for September.
Following some complaints from external tutors about the behavior of our primary school students during tutoring sessions, the Principal organized an emergency meeting bringing together the tutors, the children’s supervisors (Justin and a few moms), with the meeting being facilitated by the psychologist. The goal of this meeting was to quickly identify solutions to the difficulties observed.
Among the issues raised were the loss of essential school supplies (pens, pencils, erasers, etc.), poor maintenance of notebooks, and the fact that some children do not correctly copy the lessons taught at school. It was also noted that several students do not complete the exercises given by the tutors. A lack of motivation and willpower was particularly pointed out among some students in the CM1 and CM2 classes.
Faced with this situation, the Director urged the moms to pay more attention to the children’s school follow-up, especially by making sure they have all the necessary materials for their studies. A new reorganization was made to better monitor the children.
Furthermore, the Director encouraged the tutors to use their experience to properly prepare the children during this crucial period leading up to the CEPD exams and end-of-year tests.
On Friday, May 15, 2026, the SPES Children’s Center had the great pleasure of once again welcoming Mr. Larry Oseh, a loyal donor and friend of the children, on the occasion of his birthday celebration.
As in previous years, Mr. Larry Oseh chose to share this special moment with the children at the SPES orphanage, showing his attachment to them and his ongoing commitment to their well-being. The evening began in a warm and festive atmosphere with the children, the center’s staff, and his guests present.
To mark this happy occasion, the children put on artistic performances, including dances, poems, and messages of thanks expressing their gratitude to their generous benefactor. These different activities brought Mr. Larry a lot of emotion and joy.
The celebration continued with the sharing of the birthday cake, followed by a friendly meal offered to everyone. The children also enjoyed some relaxing moments and fun activities that helped make the evening memorable. This celebration once again strengthened the bonds of friendship and solidarity that connect Mr. Larry Oseh to the large SPES family.
The evening ended in an atmosphere of joy, gratitude, and hope, leaving everyone with precious memories of this time together.
Following the receipt of the Harmattan semester results requested by the director, it turned out that several students had not passed most of their UE courses; the grades were not encouraging at all. A meeting was organized with them to take stock of their academic situation.
The meeting helped raise awareness among our young students about the importance of personal work, attending classes regularly, and maintaining discipline in their studies to improve their results for the Monsoon semester.
After the awareness session, each student was seen individually to discuss their personal and academic concerns. These one-on-one meetings helped to identify the specific difficulties of each student more precisely and to consider suitable solutions.
This meeting helped to better understand the causes of the poor performances recorded in the Harmattan semester and to suggest possible solutions to improve results in the Monsoon semester. The students were receptive and motivated to put in more effort to achieve better results in the Monsoon semester.
During this month of May, we received from a supporter, Mr. Jean-Marie DIOMAR, three (3) boxes of English books intended for the two SPES centers.
The garden and vegetable patch
The market gardening activities are going very well. The lettuces and spinach are gradually growing.
Weather
Heavy rains are picking up in the south of Togo along with their share of mosquitoes. A slight coolness is settling over the whole city of Lomé. So, on these friendly notes, we wish you a good and fruitful June 2026.
